It appears that Po's days as the fabled Dragon Warrior hero are coming to an end in the fourth installment of the Kung Fu Panda franchise, which began with Jack Black's character Po learning that he was destined to become the legendary warrior back in 2008.
Viola Davis joins the cast of the franchise as Chameleon, a formidable sorceress who can change her shape. She appears to be trying to steal the spirit of renowned martial artists from the past, such as Ian McShane's Tai Lung, the main enemy in the first movie. Chameleon will also be looking to steal the powers of other deceased Kung Fu Panda villains, as well.
Conspicuously absent from the trailer are The Furious Five- Angelina Jolie's Master Tigress, Seth Rogen's Master Mantis, Lucy Liu's Master Viper, David Cross' Master Crane and Jackie Chan's Master Monkey.
Instead, joining the film as Po's new companion is Awkwafina as the fox thief, Zhen.
However, the outcry over the lack of the Furious Five's presence in the trailer was so loud that Dreamworks quickly confirmed that they would appear in the film.
Speaking to Collider, director Mike Mitchell stated, "They make an appearance, I'll tell you that much. But to be fair, Po is leaving the Valley of Peace and he's going on a huge adventure to this giant city…"
Check out the first Kung Fu Panda 4 trailer from Dreamworks Animation, below. The film will hit North American theaters on March 8, 2024.
The film features the voice talent of returning stars Academy Award winner Dustin Hoffman as Kung Fu master, Shifu; James Hong (Everything Everywhere All at Once) as Po’s adoptive father, Mr. Ping; Academy Award nominee Bryan Cranston as Po’s birth father, Li, and Emmy Award nominee Ian McShane as Tai Lung, Shifu’s former student and arch-nemesis. Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All at Once) joins the ensemble as a new character, Han, the leader of the Den of Thieves.
Kung Fu Panda 4 is directed by Mike Mitchell (DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls, Shrek Forever After) and produced by Rebecca Huntley (DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys). The film’s co-director is Stephanie Ma Stine (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power).
Kung Fu Panda 4 Official Synopsis
This spring, for the first time in almost a decade, comedy icon Jack Black returns to his role as Po, the world’s most unlikely kung fu master, with a hilarious, butt-kicking new chapter in DreamWorks Animation’s beloved action-comedy franchise: Kung Fu Panda 4.
After three death-defying adventures defeating world-class villains with his unmatched courage and mad martial arts skills, Po, the Dragon Warrior (Golden Globe nominee Jack Black), is called upon by destiny to … give it a rest already. More specifically, he’s tapped to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace.
That poses a couple of obvious problems. First, Po knows as much about spiritual leadership as he does about the paleo diet, and second, he needs to quickly find and train a new Dragon Warrior before he can assume his new lofty position.
Even worse, there’s been a recent sighting of a wicked, powerful sorceress, Chameleon (Oscar® winner Viola Davis), a tiny lizard who can shapeshift into any creature, large or small. And Chameleon has her greedy, beady little eyes on Po’s Staff of Wisdom, which would give her the power to re-summon all the master villains whom Po has vanquished to the spirit realm.
So, Po’s going to need some help. He finds it (kinda?) in the form of crafty, quick-witted thief Zhen (Golden Globe winner Awkwafina), a corsac fox who really gets under Po’s fur but whose skills will prove invaluable. In their quest to protect the Valley of Peace from Chameleon’s reptilian claws, this comedic odd-couple duo will have to work together. In the process, Po will discover that heroes can be found in the most unexpected places.